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They Will Not Be Able to Harm Me The Three-Plied Cord

A person’s awareness that “there is no other than He” removes all The simple meaning of the word nefesh is a person’s lifeforce. But
of his fears—not only fears and worries resulting from dreams and nefesh can also mean “will” and “prayer.”
delusions, but even fear of actual dangers. For instance, if a person
who is standing trial on a serious charge has perfect knowledge, he We find nefesh in the sense of “will” in the words of Abraham to
will be unafraid and unworried, because he knows that the judge the Hittites: “If it is acceptable to your nefesh that I bury my dead
and the plaintiff are only puppets, and that he is solely in the hands before me” (Genesis 23:8), meaning, “If you want to help me bury
of Hashem, Who will do him only good. With the power of this my wife.” Rashi there defines “your nefesh” as “your will.” And in
knowledge, a person can remove all judgments, as is famously the verse, “My nefesh is not for this nation” (Jeremiah 15:1), Rashi
taught in Nefesh Hachaim (Gate 3, Chapter 12): explains this to mean “my will.”

The following is truly a great matter and a wonderful And we find nefesh in the sense of “prayer” in the words of
regimen with which a person can remove and nullify Hannah: “I poured out my nefesh before Hashem” (Samuel I 1:15)
all judgments and other wills against him, so that they and Rashi explains: “What is nefesh? That is prayer” (Berachot 8b).
will not be able to control him and they will make no Both will and prayer are called nefesh because they are equal
impression on him. in their character and quality. The will constitutes the character
and lifeforce of prayer. Therefore, the Ralbag comments on this
He must realize firmly in his heart: “Hashem is the true verse: “This means that she prayed to express all of her will
God and there is no power at all other than He in this to Hashem.”
world and all other worlds, and everything is filled solely
with His simple oneness, may His name be blessed.” The Nefesh Hachaim adds an original and inspiring comment
on this verse, linking the quality of a person’s prayer to the purity
In his heart, he must nullify completely and ignore of his will (Gate 2, Chapter 15): “[Hannah] poured forth all of her
completely any other power and will in the world, and nefesh in her prayer before Him, may He be blessed. Therefore,
subjugate his pure thought and cling in the purity of his she said, ‘I poured out my nefesh….’ The phrase ‘pouring out’
thought only to the singular Master, blessed be He. means to pour out entirely (as is known from the Gemara). This
indicates that she no longer had any will for this-worldly

Then [Hashem], may He be blessed, will satisfy him matters, because nefesh means ‘will,’ as in the verse: ‘That which
and nullify all other powers and intents in the world your nefesh says, I will do for you’ (Samuel I 20:4), and the general
before him, so that they will not be able to do anything will is connected to the entirety of the nefesh.”
at all to him. Incidentally, it is possible to infer from the three-fold connection
of lifeforce, will and prayer—which are all called nefesh—that a
Amazing stories are told about Jews who kept this advice and person’s prayer spoken with will generates a corresponding amount
experienced supernatural miracles, rescues and salvations from of lifeforce. This sheds light on Rabbi Nachman’s statement that
terrible dangers. At any rate, we see from these holy words that “we receive the essence of [our] lifeforce from prayer” (Likutei
when a person truly knows Hashem and knows that there is none Moharan I 9 and also 2). This is because lifeforce is drawn to a person
else but He, he nullifies all powers in the world, and they cannot in accordance with his will. As the verse states: “You give everyone